Coffee-machine.



C. NELSON.

COFFEE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1907.

1,080,774 Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Invntof M W fly 1x A ttorneys.

COLUMBU} PLANOGRAPH COuWASHlNU'ION. D. c

TIN TEE @TATEg FATENT @EFTQE.

CHARLES NELSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO S. STERNAU & (30., OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A COPARTNER-SHIP COMPOSED OF SIGMUND STERNAU AND LIONELSTRASSBUBGEB.

COFFEE-MACHINE.

nosofira.

Specification of Letters E'atent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES NnLsoN, a subject of the King of Sweden,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented an Improvement in Coffee-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object l have in view is the production of a machine for makinginfusions of coffee, tea and other materials, and for analogouspurposes, which will have advantages over others heretofore made. Amongthese advantages will be reduced cost, greater sim plicity and greaterefliciency. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is section of a portion of acoffee machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom viewof the percolator; and Fig. 3 is a section thereof, also showing aportion of the heating chamber.

In all of the views like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters.

In carrying out my invention I provide the usual receptacle 1, adaptedto contain the water at first and the infusion afterwardthe latter beingdrawn off through the usual cock or faucet, not shown. In the upper endof the receptacle 1 is a screen or perforated receptacle 2 for thecofiee or other material of which the infusion is to be made. Above thisis shown the usual globe 8, by means of which the operation of thepercolator may be observed and the color of the infusion ascertained bythe user. The receptacle 1 is adapted to be supported upon the usualstand, not shown; to its bottom is secured the heating chamber 4, thelatter extending downward below the receptacle. The chamber is open atits upper end and communicates with the interior of receptacle 1, isclosed at its lower end, and is provided with a flange 5, the latterbeing for the double purpose of conducting heat into the chamber andinsulating the bottom of the receptacle. The inside of the heatingchamber 4 is preferably cylindrical in shape; it is preferably verticaland is co-incident with the center of the receptacle. It is bestattached to the receptacle by the means shown, which comprises the nut6, engaging with screw threads formed on the upper end of the chamber,the nut being within the receptacle 1 and engaging with the bottomthereof. The receptacle is provided with a flange 7, which is adapted tolie below the bottom of the receptacle 1, the bottom, together with theskirt 8, being pinched between the flange and the nut. The skirt 8 ispreferably of the shape shown, being attached to the chamber adjacent tothe bottom of the receptacle and depending downward and outward toinclose the flange 5. This skirt is shown as provided with perforations9 near its upper edge. The skirt serves the purpose of causing theheated products of combustion tocirculate around the outside of theheating chamber 4: so that the heating effect of the lamp will beincreased. The perforations 9 are for the purpose of causing the heatedproducts of combustion to more perfectly circulate around the outside ofthe heating chamber 4, and through the space encompassed by such chamberand the skirt 8.

The percolator 10 serves as a means of communication between the heatingchamber t and the globe 3, and is a means for causing liquid to passfrom the receptacle 1 into the globe and to be sprayed upon the coffeeor other material carried by the screen 2. The percolator is preferablyvertical, and passes through the screen 3 at its center, although it isto be understood that the position and location of the percolator is notessential.

The percolator comprises an inner tube 11, an outer tube 12, a basefitting 13, and a nozzle 14. The outer tube 12 as shown hassubstantially the same outer diameter as the internal diameter of theheating chamber at. It extends from a point near the bottom of thatchamber up to preferably on a level with the bottom of screen 2. Theinner tube 11 is smaller than the outer tube, so that the air space 15will be formed between the two. The inner tube is of small size; for amachine of average size about three-eighths of an inch internaldiameter. The nozzle 14 may be a continuation of the inner tube 11 or asmaller tube connected thereto. The upper end of the nozzle iscontracted so as to increase the velocity of the issuing jet of liquid,although this is not essential.

The base fitting 13 is secured to the outer tube 12 by any suitablemeans as by soldering, and is provided with screw threads, which engagewith the threads in the nut 6. This nut 6, therefore, serves the doublepurpose of holding the heating chamber 1 in Oil place and in supportingthe percolator. The upper portion of the base fitting is preferablyflanged, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to extend outward and rest upon theupper end of the nut 6.

Means is provided to permit entrance of the liquid of the receptacle 1to the interior of the heating chamber 4. This is made by means of apassage, which is not a straight passage but is crooked or labyrinthine,so that the liquid cannot be readily forced through it at high velocitybut will be free to flow through it at low velocities. This passage isindicated in Fig. 1 by the charactor 16. The upper portion of it isformed within the base fitting 13, and consists of a notch or groove 17formed in such fitting and extending throughout the depth of the latter.The next part of the passage is formed by constricting or reducing indiameter the outer. tube 12 at 18. This will form an annular passage,the outer walls of which are made by the inner walls of the heatingchamber 4, the top and bottom and inner walls being formed by theconstriction 18 in the tube 12. This constriction is preferably made ofthe same diameter as the inner tube 11, the latter being secured to theouter tube at this point. The third part of the passage is made by meansof a groove 19, made in the outer tube and ex tending from theconstricted portion to the lower end thereof. The groove 19 and notch 17are preferably diametrically opposite each other, as shown.

The passage for the liquid from the in terior of the receptacle 1 to theinterior of the heating chamber 2 must therefore be through the notch 17the annular passage surrounding the constriction 18, and the groove 19.The inside of the percolator is unobstructed and is best perfectlystraight; the liquid will therefore have a free passage from the insideof the heating chamber 4 up through the inner tube 11 and may bedischarged'through the nozzle 14.

In order to prevent the circular passage adjacent to the constriction 18from receiving heat by conduction from the skirt 8, the latter may beclamped between insulating rings 2020, arranged respectively one on eachside of the skirt, one being engaged by the flange 7 and the other bythe bottom of the receptacle 1. The upper of the two rings will alsoserve as a packing means to prevent leakage from the interior of thereceptacle 1 around the heating chamber 4.

The usual deflector 21 is shown, supported upon the tube 22 secured tothe base of the screen 2. The deflector 21 is not essential as itsfunction may be carried out by other means; furthermore, if it is usedit may be supported in different ways from that shown.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The requisite amount ofwater is placed within the receptacle 1, and will flow through thelabyrinthine passage 16 into the heating chamber 4, and will rise in theinner tube 11 to the height of the water in the receptacle 1, orslightly higher, owing to capillary action. The requisite amount ofcoffee, tea or other material of which the infusion is to be made isintroduced within the screen 2 and globe 3, and heat is then applied tothe flange 5 by a lamp or other heating means. The products ofcombustion from the heat ing means will pass around the edges of theflange 5 and will impinge against the lower edge of the skirt 8,circulating between the chamber 4 and skirt 8, and adding heat to suchchamber which would otherwise be lost. The water within the chamber 4will be quickly heated, but owing to the comparatively small diameter ofthe percolator such water will not have an opportunity to circulatebefore the water within the heating chamber 4 is converted into steam.This will drive up the water which is within the percolator above thechamber 4 and cause it to pass through the nozzle 14 and be sprayed uponthe coffee which is contained within the screen 2. Upon the pressurebeing relieved by the discharge of the water through the nozzle 14, itsplace will be taken by water from the receptacle 1 passing through thelabyrinthine passage. This water will be heated and a portion of itdischarged in the same manner. The airspace 15 effectively prevents theheated contents of the percolator from imparting its heat to thecontents of the receptacle 1. The length and shape of the passage 16 issuch that it offers an obstruction to the discharge of the liquid fromthe receptacle 4 by means of the expansion of the steam in suchreceptacle, so. that little or no liquld is discharged through saidpassage. The liquid, therefore, circulates upward through the percolatorand descends from the screen 2 into the receptacle.

The apparatus may be readily cleansed by removing the percolator andintroducing brush or other tool into the interior of the heating chamber4. By unscrewing the nut 6 the heating chamber and skirt 8 may beremoved.

By forming the percolator of tubes with the comparatively small andsimple base fitting 18, the cost of the device is reduced from 7 thoseheretofore made.

I find that the apparatus is very efficient, one cofifee machine made byme produced a strong infusion of coffee from cold water within twelveminutes after starting; the water being discharged through the nozzle 14within two minutes after the lamp was applied. The action, I find, is asrapid and effective as structures employing a valve, which areobjectionable owing to the difficulty of cleansing them, and theirliability to be choked and rendered inoperative by coffee grounds orother solid matters in the liquid engaging with the valve.

The broad features of the invention which comprise a circuitous orlabyrinthine passage as a means of communication between the heatingchamber and the receptacle of the coffee machine, are not claimed inthis application but are claimed in another application.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 havedescribed the principle of my invention, together with the apparatuswhich I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but Idesire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merelyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A percolator for acoiliee machine hav- 111g an inner tube, an outertube forming an air space between the two and a base fitting, the outertube being constricted adjacent to the base fitting, there being a notchin the base fitting and a groove in the outer tube, both communicatingwith the constricted portion.

2. A coffee machine having a receptacle and a heating chamber, the saidheating chamber having a flange outside of the receptacle and a nutinside of the receptacle, there being a skirt clamped between the flangeand bottom of the receptacle, said skirt being perforated adjacent toits upper portion.

This specification signed and witnessed this 12th day of July, 1907.

CHARLES NELSON.

VVit-nesses JOHN L. Lo'rscn, FLORENCE B. LAWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. C.

